Features
‘A remarkable time capsule’: The enchanting history of Oxford University’s 750-year-old medieval library
Predating the Aztec Empire, Merton College Library in Oxford has been used by everyone from celebrated 14th-Century mathematicians to JRR Tolkien. In an exclusive interview with the BBC for its 750th birthday, its librarian describes what makes it so special.
At Merton College in Oxford, there is an antique chest. In the Middle Ages, three key-holders had to be summoned to reveal the riches within. But this treasure wasn’t gold or jewels. It was books.
Such strict security may sound overly cautious for mere parchment. But in an era before the printing press, books were a valuable commodity. They could take months to produce, as the entire text had to be painstakingly written out by hand. So, just as universities solicit cash from their alumni today, Merton College insisted its 13th-Century fellows donated books.
“There’s no single definition of a library” – Prof Teresa Webber
The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a decree in 1276 introducing this requirement, which marked the beginning of the library at Merton College. It has been running continuously ever since. To put that length of time in context, Merton’s library predates the Aztec Empire. Its unbroken history stretches from before the Black Death to beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. And its users have encompassed everyone from famous 14th Century mathematicians to Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.
This month marks the library’s 750th anniversary. It’s a major milestone. But Merton’s extraordinary lifespan has been recognised since the Victoria era, when it was routinely described as the oldest library in England.
In the 20th Century, writers like Rudyard Kipling and John Buchan referenced it in works of historical fiction, bolstering its reputation as a particularly venerable library. As the cultural recognition of “the famous Merton Library” grew, claims about its longevity became exaggerated. Some overzealous Oxonians even declared it the oldest library in the world.
The origins of the historic library
Historians today are more careful about making such bold declarations. “It’s a complicated question,” says Prof Teresa Webber from the University of Cambridge. “There’s no single definition of a library. And there were all sorts of stages in the development of what we think of today as a library.”
The origins of the library at Merton are certainly different from how we think of such institutions now. There was no librarian and there were no shelves for browsing. “There was a system of loaning and returning books from the chest,” Merton’s librarian, Dr Julia Walworth tells the BBC. “It would have been a formal thing. Rather than just saying, ‘Oh, go rummage and find the books you need,’ the whole community would come together to open the chest.”
“Horizontal shelves were installed for placing books upright. Merton is the first recorded use in Britain of this method of storing books” – Dr Julia Walworth
Merton’s collection started evolving into a modern library quite quickly. Just a few years after the Archbishop’s decree, several books were stored outside the chest for the first time. They were chained to a table in the college, making them available at any time. According to Walworth, this innovation “anticipates the modern distinction between loan and reference library collections”.
Merton’s book treasury moved closer to becoming a modern library in the 1370s, when a purpose-built room was constructed to house the growing collection. It was here that Merton introduced a vital improvement in book storage. “Horizontal shelves were installed for placing books upright,” Walworth says. “Merton is the first recorded use in Britain of this method of storing books.”
Curiously, Merton’s books were shelved with their spines inwards and their titles inked on the paper facing out. This was due to the continued use of chains, which were clipped on the fore-edge of each book’s cover. “The fellows were aware that chained books had a better chance of survival than books that went out on loan,” Walworth explains.
Today, just a few volumes in the library are chained – purely for display purposes. And the remaining books are now placed in the modern fashion with their spines out. But otherwise, the medieval room remains a remarkable time capsule of the library’s history. Near the entrance, visitors can even see the 13th-Century chest, which Walworth believes is the original. During term time, the historic library room is still used by students. And this ongoing use is a major factor in the superlatives that are often applied to the age of Merton’s library. “It’s hard to think of an earlier library room that’s been in continuous use,” Webber says.
Claims about Merton’s longevity first gained traction in the Victorian era, as it became more of a tourist destination. Visitors would marvel at its stained-glass windows, as well as rare books like its 15th-Century edition of The Canterbury Tales. “It’s one of the earliest books printed in England,” Walworth explains. “What’s unique about Merton’s copy is the hand-illuminated borders.” Among those who visited the library was American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, who mentioned it in his 1856 travelogue English Traits. In 1884, a young Beatrix Potter visited, describing the library’s “beautiful oak roof” and “ancient, dusty smell” in her diary.
By this time, books and magazines were increasingly describing the library in record-breaking terms. An 1878 guide to Oxford called Merton’s library “the most ancient now in England”. The 1885 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica described it as “the oldest existing library in England”. Gradually, these claims were inflated. A 1928 article in The Times recounted an event held by the Oxford Preservation Trust in which it was declared “the oldest library in the world”.
This growing perception of Merton’s longevity was even referenced in F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby. In the book, the multi-millionaire title character fills his mansion with imitations of history’s most prestigious rooms. So, it’s only natural that his books live in a recreation he refers to as “the Merton College Library”. As Walworth puts it, “Merton’s library had become a byword for the ‘best’ ancient library” by that time. She even points out that Fitzgerald’s fictional scenario had roots in reality. “The dining clubs at Princeton University have historical imitation rooms. One of them is based on the Merton College Library.”
But today, Walworth rebukes any suggestion that Merton’s library is the world’s oldest. She prefers to describe it with several qualifiers, calling it “one of the oldest still-functioning academic libraries in Europe”. That more measured description recognises that not all historic libraries can be categorised in the same bucket – monastic libraries functioned very differently from private subscription libraries, for instance. But it also acknowledges ancient institutions around the globe. “It’s not that people weren’t aware of other parts of the world in the past,” Walworth says. “But there was a tendency for people to think of their own world as having primacy. Our outlook tends to be more global now, quite rightly.”
The debate over the world’s oldest library
Among these global institutions, there are several candidates for the contested title of world’s oldest library. When the Al-Qarawiyyin library in Morocco underwent a major restoration in 2016, it was described by several media outlets as “the oldest library in the world”. But Guinness World Records cites Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt as the oldest continuously operating library.
In both cases, it’s difficult to establish an exact starting date. For the Al-Qarawiyyin library, some scholars have cast doubt on the library’s claims of Ninth-Century origins, saying the “story has much myth about it”. In the case of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, the building was constructed in the Sixth Century. But ancient writings suggest that the library’s collections could date from two centuries earlier. “It depends how you count it,” Walworth says. “When are you going to start the timeline? What is the beginning of a library?”
However, Prof Richard Gameson from Durham University tells the BBC that the library at Saint Catherine’s Monastery “is probably the one with the longest continuous history”. But he caveats this by adding that “the nature of the ‘library’, how it was used and how it was understood changed over time”. So, any claim to be “the oldest” needs to be accompanied by an appropriate explanation of what a library is. Finding a single definition that allows for one conclusive record-holder seems a near-impossible task.
“You can think of the oldest library as the oldest coherent collection of books that stayed together,” says Webber. “Or you can think of it in terms of the survival of the physical space. Or you could ask, ‘What’s the oldest space and collection of books which has been there continuously?'”
She offers the Dunhuang Library Cave in China as an example. This secret chamber was filled with manuscripts and sealed sometime around the 11th Century. It was only opened again after its rediscovery in 1900. “But the books were still in continuous storage there,” Webber says.
Finding a common definition of a library will only become more challenging now, as digital institutions offer physical spaces that do not even contain any books. “The definition of what a library is has always needed to be a capacious one,” says Webber. “The introduction of new technology is simply a continuation of that. But I don’t think the library as a physical space will disappear.”
Walworth is similarly optimistic, as she embarks on a project to digitise Merton’s manuscripts. “People will be able to access them anywhere. But I think they will still want to come and see the library and understand how people used books in the past.”
Reflecting on the 750-year span of Merton’s library, this digital phase seems like just another step in a long evolution. Just as the books moved from the Archbishop’s chest to chained desks to horizontal shelves, now they will enter the virtual realm. “I suppose that’s why I now find it less useful to talk about libraries as ‘the oldest’,” Walworth says. “For me, the story is not about how long a library has been running. It’s more about the sense of community.”
She points out that the tradition of donating books introduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1276 persists to this day. “What started when he laid down those injunctions was the idea of a common collection built by the people. So, it’s just remarkable that for 750 years people have maintained this connection with an institution and its books.”
Perhaps that proves that books really are the most durable treasure – whether they are handwritten on parchment and sealed in an antique chest or distributed as pixels in the cybernetic ether.
[BBC]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warning to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was stark: ‘Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.’ It followed US central administration accusations that the court was unfairly targeting Americans on the basis of trumped-up war crimes charges.
However, a new plethora of sanctions has been clamped on the ICC by the US, which in turn has spurred accusations by sections of the world that the latter has unleashed an ‘assault’ on the international legal order.
What some of the sanctions would mean for the ICC was outlined by Rubio: ‘We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us.’
The ICC has shown consistency of purpose over the years. Despite some operational constraints it has indicted a large number of political strongmen from around the world, accused of war crimes and other governance excesses that come under its purview. Two such recent figures are: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Rather than enjoy a mere nominal presence in the world community, the ICC has proved its effectiveness by detaining and bringing to justice scores of VIP politicians and others of their ilk who have been found guilty of human rights abuses and kindred excesses that come within the terms of reference of the ICC.
Accordingly, the international justice system would be stymied considerably as a result of the ICC being dis-empowered, particularly financially. Needless to say, potential and real perpetrators of the species of crime coming under the jurisdiction of the ICC would stand to gain most from such anarchic tendencies. That is, political repression globally would be enabled to enjoy a new lease of life.
A detailing of the types of crime coming under the purview of the ICC provides an idea of what it would cost the international community if the ICC’s operations are gravely hampered. They are mainly: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
That is, the part of the world to be worst affected would be the global South, since the latter is awash with the mentioned crimes. Needless to say, a chronically-disaffected South will sooner rather than later undermine the well being of the world dangerously. The world is already being put through these paces.
At the time of writing, ‘illegal migrants’ from the South, for example, are aggravating many a Western economy’s woes, besides creating for them acute law and order issues. The fact that these migrants’ presence goes on to become a virtual test of the migrant receiving states’ ability to forge domestic social inclusion in the face of jingoistic protests by mainly white supremacist groups is evidence of the latter. As is known, the US, to take just one example, has been up against this crisis for quite a while.
Accordingly, it will be in the best interests of the West if ‘illegal’ migrant arrivals on their shores are stemmed. If the socio-political and economic problems assailing the South are effectively managed through North-South collaborative, ‘trouble-shooting’ efforts the causes leading to ‘illegal’ migration and connected issues could be resolved at source as it were. For, it is the aggravation of the South’s material questions that lays the basis for the emergence of repressive and anti-democratic regimes in the hemisphere.
Until such time that the aforementioned issues in North-South relations are visited afresh and addressed urgently, a vibrantly functioning ICC would be needed. For, the latter would prove a deterrent to Southern political and military strongmen, highly prone to power abuse and like excesses, from coming into being in the wake of the South’s chronic material woes and the wars and conflicts that result from them.
It stands to reason then that the US would be acting in its own interests by enabling the ICC to perpetuate its mandate without hindrance. For a crop of issues that impinges negatively on internal law and order would be defused.
Meanwhile, there needs to be a meeting of minds among the rest of the West to put back in place a North-South dialogue process aimed at reducing some of the economic pressures that are weighing on the South.
Since economics usually drives politics it will be in the interests of the world community to scrutinizingly re-visit North-South issues of the past and put in place economic relief packages for Southern publics that would enable them to tide over their material hardships rather than permit the latter to aggravate into social disaffection and eventually armed militancy. It is the latter juncture that paves the way for the emergence of authoritarian rulers in the South who then go on to be a blight on their publics.
Accordingly, the Southern-based global development thinking of the past that envisaged a more equitable world economic order needs to be seen as an urgent need. That is, NAM’s international development paradigms need to be resuscitated to the extent possible.
It is unlikely that rightist governments of the West, such as the current Republican administration in the US, would find these projects feasible, but democratic states of Europe, led by perhaps the UK, are likely to think otherwise. For it would not be beneficial for the democratic world to be having on their hands repressive governments in the South who would be gravitating towards the major military and economic actors of the South, such as Iran and North Korea, who tend to be in constant power struggles with the West.
However, until such time that the mentioned, pro-people initiatives are given serious thought the ICC would need to be enabled by the international community to be in place comfortably and carry on with its mandate of bringing repressive rulers to book. Besides the ICC should pave the way for the peoples of the developing world to enjoy some substantial respite from the political repression and even terror which tend to be their lot.
Meanwhile, the wars of West Asia are relentlessly aggravating the economic hardships of people everywhere, driving the point home to enlightened sections that there is no alternative to peacemaking. A challenge is to convert the US under President Trump to this line of thinking.
This week, I give you five simple, time-tested homemade remedies that help reduce the appearance of blemishes, control excess shine and leave your skin feeling softer and smoother.
The Honey and Lemon Brightening Dab:
For stubborn blemish marks, this is a classic. Mix one teaspoon of pure bee honey with three to four drops of fresh lemon juice. Apply gently, only on the affected spots, and leave for 10 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water. While honey soothes and softens, lemon helps to brighten naturally. Use twice a week in the evening.
Besan and Rose Water Oil-Control Pack:
An ideal remedy to combat shine, especially on the T-zone. Take two teaspoons of besan (gram flour) and mix with sufficient rose water to form a smooth paste. Add a pinch of turmeric for its antiseptic goodness. Apply evenly, keep for 15 minutes and wash off. It absorbs excess oil without over-drying, leaving a beautiful matte finish.
Aloe Vera and Cucumber Ice Soother:
Blend fresh aloe vera gel with the juice of a grated cucumber and freeze the mixture in an ice tray. Each morning, wrap one cube in a soft muslin cloth and gently rub over a cleansed face for 30 seconds. It calms, tightens pores and imparts a baby-soft smoothness.
Oatmeal and Curd Gentle Polish:
Roughness and old blemish marks need gentle exfoliation. Combine one tablespoon of finely powdered oatmeal with one tablespoon of fresh curd (yoghurt). Massage very gently, in circular motions, for one minute, leave for five minutes and rinse. It removes dead cells and unveils softer, clearer skin.
Multani Mitti and Green Tea Magic Mask:
Brew some green tea and allow it to cool completely. Mix one and a half teaspoons of Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) with the tea water to make a fine paste. Apply for 10 to 12 minutes – do not let it dry and crack completely – and wash off. It draws out impurities, fades blemishes and bestows a fresh, shine-free glow.
A Gentle Reminder:
As with any natural remedy, always do a patch test on your inner arm first. For those with oily or combination skin, avoid heavy coconut oil application and harsh scrubbing, as they tend to aggravate shine and blemishes.
Dream of performing on a world stage? Well, here is your unique, golden opportunity!
The World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) — the one and only official “Talent Olympics” — is the world’s premier global platform for aspiring singers, dancers, actors, models, instrumentalists, etc., to compete, shine and be discovered!
And, yes, this world stage is open to YOU, Sri Lankans living in Sri Lanka and overseas!
Held annually in glittering Las Vegas, WCOPA brings together over 70 countries, all competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, just like the traditional Olympics.
Lakisha Bernard: Will represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2027
Outstanding performers vie for the coveted titles of Junior and Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World, with winners and standout participants awarded over $500,000 in scholarships, cash awards and prizes to catapult their education and careers!
Sri Lanka is already making waves! At WCOPA 2026, Natharie Wickramasinghe, representing Team Sri Lanka, made the nation proud by winning a Bronze Medal in the Ethnic/Folklore Dance category!
Lakisha: Accomplished freelance Model and Fashion Design graduate
Recruitment for this prestigious competition is handled through a system of scouts and licensed National Directors — and this is where our very own Chris Rajendra, now based in Las Vegas, and National Director for Team Sri Lanka, comes into the scene.
If you are a singer, dancer, actor, model, instrumentalist — if you have talent burning inside you — contact Chris Rajendra today for registration and, who knows, you may find yourself in Las Vegas, and proudly draped in the Sri Lankan flag, at WCOPA 2027!
The contact address is: Chris Rajendra, wcopa.nationaldirector.sl@gmail.com
or chris.rajendra@gmail.com
Meanwhile, a star is born for 2027, in the form of Lakisha Bernard who is all set to represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2027.
Originally hailing from the sun-drenched coastal city of Colombo and now carving out her creative career in Canada, 22-year-old Lakisha is stepping into the international spotlight.
This accomplished freelance Model and Fashion Design graduate has officially been appointed as the Team Sri Lanka Promoter for Canada as she prepares to represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA in Las Vegas.
Lakisha brings a unique blend of high-fashion sensibility, captivating camera presence and expert garment design to the Team.
Having built her career, from local college shoots to high-glamour concepts, Lakisha’s inspiring journey embodies the true spirit of cultural bridge-building and creative resilience, bringing immense pride and recognition to Sri Lanka on the global stage.
WCOPA 2027 will be held at the legendary Westgate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, from 12th to 20th July – the very same iconic arena where the late, great Elvis Presley himself performed!
Your moment is now. Your stage is Las Vegas, so hurry and contact Chris Rajendra.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at most parts of the island
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